Foot pedal



N. DISHONG FOOT PEDAL Filed Nov. 14, 1957 Sept. 16, 1958 F ig.

m m E v m ATTORNEYS United States Patent FOOT PEDAL Norman Dishoug, East Cleveland, Ohio Application November 14, 1957, Serial No. 696,554

6 Claims. (Cl. 74-560) This invention relates generally to foot pedals, but has reference more particularly to a foot pedal designed to be used in conjunction with the dimmer switch button on the toe board of an automobile.

In most automobiles, the dimmer switch button is located on the inclined toe board of the automobile, under the dashboard, in a position which permits it to be seen only with difficulty, so that the driver of the automobile is obliged to feel for the button with his foot, in order to locate it, for the purpose of depressing the button.

Even where the driver is familiar with the location of the button, he or she is frequently unable to depress the button, in an emergency, since the location of the button is such that it is difiicult for access, and the driver, under stress or strain, or for other reasons, finds it diflicult to quickly reach and depress the button.

The present invention accordingly has as its primary object the provision of a foot pedal which has been designed with a view to permitting an automobile driver to quickly and easily depress the dimmer switch button,

irrespective of its specific location, and under any and all driving conditions or state of mind of the driver.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foot pedal of the character described, which is so constructed as to be readily attachable to the dimmer switch button, yet easily removable from such button for repair or replacement purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foot pedal of the character described which has a degree of flexibility in its rear portion, which assists in retaining the foot pedal in attachment with the dimmer switch button.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a foot pedal of the character described, which can be manufactured in commercially desirable quantities and sold at a low price.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a foot pedal, embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the foot pedal;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the foot pedal,

showing the manner in which it is applied to a dimmer switch button, and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particular to the drawings, reference numeral 1 represents the body of the foot pedal, which is in the form of an elongated block of rubber or like material having a reinforcing insert or core 2 of aluminum or like metal therein.

Body 1 of the pedal is provided at its rear portion with an extension 3, of decreased thickness, which extension is formed integrally with the body 1, and pro r, 2,851,902 Patented Sept. 16, 1958 "ice gressively diminishes in thickness towards the rear thereof, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and also progressively increases in width toward the rear thereof, as

clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The extension 3, in its unstressed or unflexed condition, extends rearwardly, or is substantially coplanar with the body 3 as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 3.

The junction of the body 1 and extension 3 provides a shoulder 4, the lower edge 5 of which is adapted to engage the inclined toe board T of an automobile, adjacent the junction J of the toeboard with the floor F of the automobile.

Formed integrally with and extending downwardly from the lower surface of the forward end of the body foot, in depressing the button B.

In the movement of the edge 5 into engagement with the toe board, the extension 3 of the foot pedal will be flexed to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which position, the rear portion of the extension 3 will bear resiliently on the floor F of the automobile. This acts to cause the body of the foot pedal to bear tightly against the button B, thereby resisting displacement of the foot pedal from the button, and is an advantageous feature of the invention. Moreover, it also acts to resist lateral movement of the foot pedal about the button D, yet permits the'foot pedal to be swung laterally by hand, when desired, so as to permit the area of the floor under the pedal to be swept out or cleaned.

If desired, the foot pedal may be made of a single solid piece of rubber, without a reinforcing insert, or the cup-like element 6 may be made as a separate element, and then mechanically secured to the foot pedal body 1 or vulcanized to the latter.

Through the use of a foot pedal, as described, the driver can quickly and easily depress the dimmer switch button, irrespective of the specific location of the latter, and under any and all driving conditions or state of mind of the driver. The foot pedal is readily attachable to the dimmer switch button, yet is easily removable therefrom for repair or replacement purposes.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts of my invention, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope or the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A foot pedal of the character described comprising an elongated fiat member having a depending cuplike element formed integrally therewith and having its axis disposed slightly angularly to the plane of said elongated member, said member having a rearward extension of gradually diminishing thickness and gradually increasing width in a rearward direction and terminating in a straight edge which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said member.

2. A foot pedal, as defined in claim 1, in which said rearward extension forms a shoulder with the body of said member.

3. A foot pedal, as defined in claim 1, having a metallic core therein, said core completely enclosed by the material of said member, said material being nonmetallic.

4. In combination with the inclined toe-board of automobile, a dimmer switch button extending from said toeboard, and a foot pedal comprising anflelongated flat member having a cup-like-element formed integrally therewith and having its axis disposed slightly angularly to'the plane of said elongated member and frictionally engaged with said button, said member having a rearward flexible extension, which bears resiliently against the floor of the automobile, whereby to increase the pressure of the foot pedal against said button, said foot pedal extending at an angle to said toe-board and having an edge which bears against said toe-board, whereby said toe-board constitutes -a-fulcrum for downward movement of the foot pedal.

:5. The combination, as defined in claim 4, in which said rearward 'extens'ion'is of gradually diminishing thickness and of gradually increasing width in a rearward direction and terminates in a straight edge which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said member.

6. The combination, as defined in claim 5, in which said member is of a non-metallic material, and a metallic core is provided, which is completely enclosed by the material of said member,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

